Roller Coasters Halted as Investigation Widens into Fatal Georgia Amusement Park Fall
Multiple parks have temporarily closed rides, including those with similar restraint systems, following a man's death on a Six Flags Over Georgia roller coaster.
Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal fall at Six Flags Over Georgia, where a man was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster and died Monday. The incident has prompted multiple amusement parks to temporarily shut down rides, bringing the total number of halted roller coasters to 12.
Sea World Orlando in Florida and La Ronde theme park in Montreal, Canada, confirmed on Thursday they had taken rides offline. Ten of the roller coasters that have been taken out of service share the same manufacturer and a similar restraint system to the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Police and a state regulatory agency are investigating the death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta. Witnesses reported seeing Kariem ejected from the coaster, and some individuals who rode the Goliath prior to the incident raised concerns about its restraints.
Erica Billups stated that her son and daughter rode the Goliath about an hour before Kariem’s death and encountered an issue with a restraint on one seat. Her son reportedly tried to secure the restraint, but it repeatedly became unlocked. The roller coaster then departed with the seat empty and the harness raised, Billups said in a post on X, which she confirmed to The Associated Press. She added that park staff did not inform her children of any problem.
Summer Bates, who was at the park with her family and witnessed the fall, told the AP that her older children attempted to tighten their restraints during the ride. She later understood their actions, she said, as the restraints did not feel secure to her.
Six Flags has not responded to requests for comment regarding any issues with restraints.
La Ronde in Montreal stated that one of its coasters, also named Goliath, is not operational as they conduct a safety review in conjunction with the ride’s manufacturer. Neither La Ronde nor Sea World Orlando specified the reasons for their ride closures. Both parks utilize rides manufactured by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, which also produced the Goliath ride in Georgia and eight other coasters that Six Flags closed.
Bolliger & Mabillard declined to comment on the shutdowns. Online images of 10 of the closed coasters reveal they are equipped with “clamshell” restraints, which are positioned in front of each seat on a vertical bar between the rider’s knees. This bar secures a padded restraint over the rider’s lap and upper legs. It remains unclear if these coasters have secondary restraints, such as seat belts. The Goliath in Georgia does not feature such backup restraints.
Brian D. Avery, a professor at the University of Florida specializing in amusement ride safety, explained that manufacturers select restraint types based on factors like speed, forces, and track transitions. Avery advocates for the inclusion of backup restraints, noting a long-standing industry debate over whether such additions might increase rider wait times.
Kariem was reportedly thrown from his seat and struck other patrons before falling below the ride. The Goliath, a prominent attraction at Six Flags Over Georgia, opened in 2006. It features a 200-foot (61-meter) first hill and reaches a top speed of 70 mph (112 kph), without inversions. Nick Mendenhall, who had recently ridden the Goliath, described seeing Kariem appear to hover as the car moved beneath him, ultimately falling headfirst back into the coaster before being ejected on the final turn.